The present invention relates to a process for preparing dried instant noodles and the like, including an integrated brick of noodles with seasonings, which may be readily rehydrated to the original state and prepared to be served merely by adding hot water.
Dried instant noodles and the like have been prepared in the past in the shape of a brick of dried noodles wherein the noodles are first prepared by kneading, rolling and slitting the raw dough material; the dough is then steamed after being cut, molded and dried such as by frying or by hot air. Further, in the past a brick of dried noodles has been prepared by processing the noodles through the drying step as described above after a seasoning step wherein strings of noodles are soaked in or are sprayed with a seasoning liquid after being steamed.
Since the prior art instant noodles of the type accompanied by separate soup is provided with packages containing seasonings, spices, flavors or the like, in addition to a brick of dried noodles, each of the packages has to be opened prior to cooking, thus making the cooking inconvenient. Also, in the type of cooked dried noodles having a concave containing portion (e.g. "Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho.50-10478"), although the packages containing the soup, spices and so on are intended to be carried in the containing portion to prevent damage to the packages by the strings of noodles, it is still inconvenient to cook. On the other hand, when soup, spices, other additional visual ingredients and the like are not contained in packages, they tend to disperse, spill and scatter during the packing and transportation, which causes a deterioration of the flavor and the uniformity of products, including decoloring of the ingredients and so on, thus greatly degrading the product value. A brick of noodles having a hole through the center thereof is also well known (e.g. "Japanese Utility Model Provisional Publication No. Sho.50-46782", "Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho.56-31972"), but even in such a brick of noodles, the dispersion or spilling of the powdery or granular seasonings and so on cannot be prevented if they are not packaged. Moreover, when packing for commercial production, it is extremely difficult in practice to carry out both the packaging and the filling of the seasonings, additional visual ingredients and so on, properly and without omission, thus resulting in a relatively complicated process and causing difficult problems of working efficiency and productivity.
On the other hand in case of the conventional seasoned dried noodles, since the whole brick of noodles is fried after being seasoned, the effects of the seasonings and the spices will be reduced or the taste may be changed, and the range of seasonings has limited variety. In the meantime, in the case of seasoning a brick of noodles by soaking it into or spraying it with the seasoned liquid after it has been dried, there may be an increase in the moisture, and sufficient seasoning may be obstructed by the need to control the moisture content level. In any case it is difficult to produce good results.
For solving these disadvantages of the instant noodles of prior art and the like as described above, there have been filed "Japanese Utility Model Application Nos. Sho.52-158430 and Sho.53-20965 (Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho.57-58958). In the latter case there is disclosed a measure in which the seasonings, spices and other additional visual ingredients are placed and fixed to the brick of noodles together with a sticking and fixing medium which had been fluidized in advance. However, in the latter Utility Model Application, with the fluidized medium being kept in a gel or solid state, it appears to be somewhat inadequate at this time when more rapid solubility is required for reverting it to the original state.
It will be apparent that until the present invention, a solution has been awaited for the described problems such as the complicated cooking process when the noodles and soup are provided separately, the limitation in the range of seasoning and the inadaptability to various tastes of the preseasoned instant noodles, the spilling and scattering of seasonings, the deterioration in merchandising value of the product and decoloring in the case of unpackaged and simply attached seasonings, additional visual ingredients and so on, and the insufficient solubility in rehydrating to the original state when placing and fixing the sticking and fixing medium of polysaccharides onto the brick of noodles after being fluidized in advance.
It is therefore a general object of the present invention to provide a process of preparing instant noodles, whereby the various problems as described above can be solved systematically, wherein the flavor and color tone of additional visual ingredients are well preserved, the dispersion, scattering and damage of additional visual ingredients during the packing, transportation and so on can be prevented, and when serving, the restoration to the original state can be made promptly by merely pouring hot water or ordinary water.